A residence choir formed to keep students away from the lure of bars and bad influences is hitting all the right notes.
The City Edge choir is not even one year old yet but performed at the most recent graduation ceremony in September and the Jakes Gerwel Commemorative lecture at UWC.
Choir Master Monde Cindi lives at the City Edge residence with his wife Vuyiswa who is the house mother. Having previously managed the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Choir for three years Monde says he was inspired to start something similar at the residence when he saw how lonely the students were and how easily influenced they were.
“The students came here but then they were too independent and yet lonely at the same time. The aim was to build a home away from home,” he says.
The Cindi’s enjoy a passionate love of music and together they decided to harness the potential of the students.
“I told them that if they ever wanted to practice singing they should just come and call me. They did and that is how we started,” says Monde.
Running the choir with a fatherly hand has seen its numbers swell to 40 and it has also attracted members from other CPUT residences in Cape Town.
First year HR student Zintle Sqanqalala says the choir has expanded her horizons.
“Before this I would not have known where the Bellville Campus is, or what the Vice-Chancellor or a graduation ceremony looks like. It has made me find my feet at CPUT much quicker,” she says.
If you are interested in inviting the choir to perform at your event then email Monde at cindim@cput.ac.za
